U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) delivered remarks on the Senate floor following President Trump’s State of the Union address, highlighting legislative actions taken during Trump’s first year in office.
Thune began by referencing the situation when President Trump took office 13 months ago, noting challenges such as inflation and a significant border crisis under the previous administration. He said, “America – and Americans – had been through a lot under President Biden: a historic inflation crisis, and the worst border crisis on record. And on top of that, hardworking Americans were facing the prospect of a $2.6 trillion tax hike in 2026.”
He credited President Trump and congressional Republicans for acting quickly to address these issues. Thune emphasized their focus on preventing a large tax increase and outlined key provisions from the Working Families Tax Cuts legislation passed in 2025. “A prime order of business was stopping that $2.6 trillion tax hike on hardworking Americans … something we achieved with our signature 2025 legislation, the Working Families Tax Cuts,” he said.
The legislation included measures such as increasing the child tax credit and linking it to inflation, boosting the standard deduction, creating a new bonus deduction for seniors, and eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay. Thune stated, “We increased the child tax credit by hundreds of dollars – and linked it to inflation, so its value will never go down.” He added that Americans are already seeing larger tax refunds as a result.
Thune also discussed other elements of the bill beyond tax relief: “We repealed Democrats’ natural gas tax and took steps to unleash American energy production, to ensure that Americans have a stable, plentiful, and affordable – affordable – supply of energy.” He noted efforts to modernize farm safety nets important to South Dakota farmers.
On border security, Thune said encounters at the southern border have dropped significantly compared to previous years: “Thanks to President Trump’s work to stem the national security crisis at our southern border, encounters at our southern border are currently a tiny fraction of what they were under President Biden.”
Thune further mentioned actions taken by Congress and the president to repeal regulations affecting energy prices and appliances. He highlighted health care appropriations aimed at reducing prescription costs and upcoming housing legislation intended to make home ownership more accessible.
“My Democrat colleagues may talk a good game about helping hardworking Americans. But Republicans are actually putting in the work,” Thune said.
In closing his remarks, Thune recognized military members honored during President Trump’s address. He specifically mentioned Royce Williams from South Dakota who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during combat off the Korean Peninsula in 1952.
Senator Thune represents South Dakota in Congress where he focuses on agriculture, energy policy, economic development initiatives and community outreach. As Senate Republican Whip, he holds positions on several committees including Finance; Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; and Commerce, Science and Transportation according to his official website.
